"There are things pet owners can do to decrease the amount of anxiety
and stress their pets experience during thunderstorms," Langholz
said. "And the best time to work with an animal to modify behavioral
responses is when thunderstorms aren't forecast for several weeks or
months, not during spring and summer when storms seem to materialize out
of nowhere."

Langholz will present a seminar, "Thunderstorm Anxiety and Noise
Phobias," at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6, in room 2532 Veterinary Medicine
building. The one-hour seminar is free and open to the
public. Registration is not required. Pets are not allowed at the
seminar.

"Dogs are frequently treated for thunderstorm anxiety, but it's also
possible for cats to have noise phobias," Langholz said.

When an animal is afraid of noises, it might pant, pace, whine,
tremble uncontrollably, hide and try to flee from the frightening sound.

"Although these behaviors may be mildly annoying to the owner the
first year, the problems frequently increase to the point where the
animal could injure itself and severely damage items in the home,"
Langholz said.

"Medications can be used to try to decrease the intensity of the
pet's response to the stimulus, but behavior modification is necessary
to achieve the best possible results," Langholz said.

For example, a dog that is afraid of the noise made by a vacuum
cleaner can be gradually exposed to the vacuum when it is off and be
taught appropriate relaxation skills. The vacuum is then turned on in
another room while the dog continues to relax. Over time, the dog can be
in the same room with the vacuum cleaner running and not demonstrate any
fearful behaviors.

"In this case, humans can completely control the environment and
gradually expose the dog to the fear-inducing stimulus in situations
that do not trigger a fear response," Langholz said.

"But thunderstorms are different. Storms are unpredictable and can't
be controlled. And the sounds, smells, sights and sensations of storms
are nearly impossible to replicate for behavior modification exercises,"
she said. "So thunderstorm anxiety can be more difficult to treat than
other noise phobias."

There are techniques, however. One option is a stress wrap, which
applies pressure to the dog to help it feel secure. Also, massage
therapy can help a dog relax.

"Another method is a thunderstorm party, which can work to change
your dog's view of storms from being frightening to being fun,"
Langholz said. "Thunderstorm parties consist of loud music, tricks,
treats and frolicking around the house. You might feel pretty
ridiculous, but the dog has fun and doesn't worry about the storm. It's
important to have parties in the off-season to keep the dog looking
forward to them and not associate the party with the storm."

Langholz recommends asking your veterinarian for other techniques to
modify your pet's reaction to storms. Ask for information about
desensitizing your pet and changing the way the animal responds to the
noises. Training materials are available. Medication may still be
needed, but perhaps at a lower dose or for a shorter period of time.

-30-

Quick look

"Thunderstorm Anxiety and Noise Phobias"

6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6

Room 2532 Veterinary Medicine

Free and open to the public

Registration is not required

Pets are not allowed at the seminar

Quote

"There are things pet owners can do to decrease the amount of anxiety
and stress their pets experience during thunderstorms."